A little-known language survives in Colombia

[Judi Lynn]

A little-known language survives in Colombia
By Simon Romero
Published: October 17, 2007

SAN BASILIO DE PALENQUE, Colombia: The residents of this village, founded almost three centuries ago by runaway slaves in the jungle of northern Colombia, eke out their survival from plots of manioc. Pigs wander through dirt roads. The occasional soldier on patrol peaks into houses made of straw, mud and cow dung.

On the surface, it resembles any other impoverished Colombian village. But when adults here speak with one another, their language draws inspiration from as far away as the Congo River Basin in Africa. This peculiar speech has astonished linguists since they began studying it several decades ago.

The language is known up and down Colombia's Caribbean coast as Palenquero and here simply as "lengua" - tongue. Theories about its origins vary, but one thing is certain: It survived for centuries in this small community, which is now struggling to keep it from perishing.

Today, fewer than half of the community's 3,000 residents actively speak Palenquero, although many children and young adults can understand it and pronounce some phrases.

More:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/10/17/asia/journal.php

[L. Coyote]

1. What a unique opportunity for linguists, due to the isolation of the lengua.